Cord Coil

My husband, my mom and I went to have my check up yesterday at the OB. Since we are on our third trimester our check-ups are constant at 2 weeks interval. 

I had my ultrasound and my amniotic fluid this time went up at 12.5 from 8.5. However, after all the ultrasounds I went through, this is the first time that the ultrasound showed my baby’s umbilical cord is coiling at him. I don’t know what to make out of it since the OB said there is nothing to worry but I have been reading and hearing that cord coils in babies are not good as it may choke the baby. I stumbled one reading that describes different types of umbilical cord problems such as Umbilical Cord Prolapse which occurs when the umbilical cord drops through a mother’s open cervix during labor and delivery. There is also a Nuchal Cord Problem when the umbilical cord coils around an infant’s neck. Another cord problem is what they call the Umbilical Cord Knots which occurs when an infant maneuvers around in amniotic fluid and moves through the umbilical cord, creating a knot. Another one is the Umbilical Cord Cysts which happens when an abnormal growth appears on the umbilical cord which may either be false cysts which are filled with fluid or true cysts which are remaining cells from fetal development. 

I just have to trust the OB who advised that I need not worry and just monitor the fetal movements. Ultimately, I have to lift it up to God to take care of my infant and not to let this cord issue pose any threat to the pregnancy or his birth.

As to the baby’s weight, in just 5 day’s time from 2.5 my baby grew again at a rapid speed to 2.8. Which is double the normal weight gain that my baby is supposed to achieve daily. Oh boy! I really need to get my acts together and start reducing my food intake to avoid a very big baby that would not make normal delivery conceivable. I really hope to have a normal delivery for various reasons two of which are to avoid additional costs that a c-section entails and to make recovery faster since I plan to go back to work a month after. 

Water Leak?

For a few days now I am awakened by water gushes that does not seem like urine or discharge. It is watery, clear and odourless. Just last night, I woke up at 3 AM to another gush this time a bit more compared to the last few days. I googled the word watery discharge and discovered a couple of forums where women also experienced the same and were recommended to seek their doctors’ opinion right away to rule out any possible amniotic fluid leak. This brought a little panic to me so I decided to contact my OB as soon as daylight streaks. 

When I texted my OB in the morning she recommended that I go to the clinic right away to have myself checked and especially the quantity of my amniotic fluid. I went straight away and underwent a pelvic exam, transabdominal ultrasound and a repeat CBC together with some other blood tests. 

The ultrasound results showed 8.5 amniotic fluid already halfway from the 14.5 fluid I had in my 26 March 2018 check up. Although, the OB said this is still adequate as far as the normal levels are concerned and considering also that the baby is now in its 34th week. I was, however, told to go back on Monday for a repeat ultrasound to re-check the amniotic fluid and ensure that the pregnancy is going well. The OB also recommended drinking amoxicillin to address any possible infection that is prevalent at this stage of the pregnancy. I was also advised to drink plenty of liquid ideally 4 to 5 liters to ensure proper hydration. 

My baby also grew heavy very quickly. He is now at 2.5 kilograms from his 1.4 grams just a few weeks ago. I really have to discipline my eating habits and stop indulging in sweet treats to avoid any pregnancy issues and ensure baby’s safety. 

I cannot wait to reach the 37th week to ease any anxiety of any complication that might affect our precious little boy. The OB said that it would be safe to bring baby out into the world at this week since this is technically considered full term. 

The struggle in waiting is real indeed. I often have to remind myself to savour the moment because he will be out soon and I will sorely miss having him inside my belly, so close and intimate. 

Giving Birth in the Hometown

My husband, baby bump and I are now in my hometown. My husband really wanted me to deliver the baby here so that we have our respective families, relatives and friends around us in this momentous occasion in our lives. 

Since the airline allows pregnant women to fly before the 34th week of pregnancy, my husband and I decided to go home in time for the holy week celebration which happens to be on my 32nd week. This way we can also celebrate the holy week with relatives who are on holiday break from work.

Before our trip, we went on our final check-up with our OB in Manila to have myself cleared for the flight and to check up on our baby’s health and progress. Thank God everything is ok with our baby. He grew a bit bigger though so I have to be extra careful with my diet if I want to avoid having to go through CS or suffer some complications. I have been having trouble with sweet tooth since my second trimester. This was not so during my first trimester where I really had no interest in food other than to fill my insatiable appetite and avoid acid refluxes. 

Also, few days before we flew, my officemates and good friends held separate baby showers for baby and I. It was heartwarming to know that besides my husband and I, the people close to us are happy and are all looking forward to our new born. I am even more motivated to bring this wonderful gift to life knowing that he is already loved by many.

May God bring us enormous joy through the birth of this wonderful baby that from Him alone springs forth.  

Congenital Anomaly Scan for Baby Gray

My husband and I went back to the OB last 27 January 2018 to have our check-up. Our little bump was also scheduled for a Congenital Anomaly Scan (“CAS”). I was excited to see our bump in the ultrasound but was also nervous at the same time for the CAS. 

I prayed and prayed days before the scan and finally when we underwent the same everything went well. While scanning each organ, its size, structure, etc. the OB kept saying that the baby looks well developed and within the normal limits. Thank God for this!

As early as now of course we want the best for our child. What parent does not want that? But we can only hope since our baby’s development is literally beyond our control inside the womb. Only God has the means of growing our babies to His liking. Good thing we have the most amazing heavenly Father who wants the best for us. I believe that even though our children will have defects God doesn’t see it the way our human limitations see it. It is still the best as far as He is concerned. Nothing He does is a mistake. There is a reason for it all. So whether we have the healthiest child or not, he or she is still God’s gift to us that we must cherish, care and love. 

Death of A Loved One

The year that ended was quite good to me. After having been married the year before that, I got my greatest blessing from God in August of 2017 with the conception of our soon to come baby. 

I cannot really complain to God for the year that was even though I also lost one of the most important people in my life, my grandmother from my father’s side of the family. Actually, she was the last standing grandparent I had from both sides of my parents. 

My lola has always been a formidable part of my life. Since I was young, like my parents she took care of us in such endearing ways. I always believed that I was a favorite grandchild. She brings me along to the market to buy food for our family Sunday lunch in her house which happened often and regularly when I was young. She would make me choose a slice of pork chop which she will cook for lunch separate from the main meal served for the entire family and relatives. While I was young, I also slept with her in her room and regularly visited her. We would talk and talk and just bond. While growing up I stayed in her house and watched over her small sari-sari store. I also go with her to the grocery to buy stocks for her store. Life was simple back then with her. 

However, the frequent visits soon lessened when I had to start my career away from home. I was able to find a good job outside my hometown and into the metropolis which is a 2-hour plane ride away. I made up for lost time through calls on special occasions. I made sure to visit her also whenever I was home for short vacations. 

When her house got razed by fire, she lived in ours. She somehow filled the void that my father left when he passed away. Inspite of this, I wasn’t living in the house anymore so I really didn’t have time to spend with her. I just made do with every opportunity I had to bond with her like during Christmas and New Year celebrations including summer vacations. 

We used to bring her along our family outings and dine outs. But as her age progressed she was having difficulty with the walks, rides, and late nights. She would just politely decline and stay at home and take her much needed rests. 

Despite suffering from countless of health setbacks like heart attacks she was still very strong at her age. Although we noticed how her memories started to fade we thought she can still last for sometime. However, in August of last year, on the same month that I conceived my child, she suffered a major stroke leaving her in a comatose state. I immediately went home to be with her when I heard the news. But she no longer woke up and was already in a vegetative state. I spent two weeks with her and took the opportunity to tell her how much I loved her and also asked forgiveness for any pain I caused her especially on not giving her much time and attention than I wanted to. 

As I went back to the metro for work, I knew that I said everything I wanted and spent enough time with her that if ever she does not survive her ordeal I already have peace in my heart, ready to let her go when the time comes. 

After four months, the inevitable happened. Our lola left us at 10:30 in the evening of October 19. I was fortunate to have come home early for the holidays that I was with her even before she left us. I was still able to introduce my little bump to her. I was also with her at the moment when life left her body. It was sad but I felt peace knowing that she no longer needed to suffer in her vegetative state. I know she will be with the Lord the second she left us as she is a very Godly woman, whose faith in the Lord never wavered.

Gender Reveal!

We were due for another check-up last 8 December 2017 where we can already take a peek of our baby’s gender as the same is already visible at this stage of my pregnancy. My husband was very excited and was hoping very hard for a baby boy. I told him that if he wants to have a boy so badly he should ask God for it. I urged him to pray since the Lord delights in giving His children their heart’s desire as long as it is in accordance with His will. 

We excitedly woke up early in the morning in order to go to the clinic at 8 AM, although the appointment with the OB was not until the afternoon. However, I had to undergo some mandatory tests to check my blood sugar, HPV test, rubella tests, etc. The OGTT test was extra difficult as I had to fast the night before and cannot eat or even just sip some water. They had to take 3 test tubes of blood from me after I finished chugging down 1 glass of some weird tasting drink. 

I was already very hungry, sleepy and weak after the test and mustered just enough strength to walk to the nearby restaurant for lunch. While having our food, the OB texted that she cannot meet us that day as some family emergency came up. We decided to re-schedule the check up the next day instead. It was a real test of patience as my husband and I already looked forward to the big gender reveal. 

We again woke up very excited the next day. When finally I had my ultrasound, our baby readily showed his cute little penis which affirmed my husband’s prayer. My husband was very elated and immediately called his mom to tell her the good news. I was very happy also that God did not withhold my husband’s prayer and that He did want a baby boy for us. I do hope that we will have a baby girl next, by God’s will.

That day was such a beautiful milestone for our growing family. The Lord is indeed so gracious and generous even though we do not really deserve it due to our human failures. Like any father on earth, our Lord desires to give us what we really desire as long as we do not forget that it what we ask in prayer should be in accordance with His will.

Entering the Second Trimester

Today mark’s my baby’s 14th week. My baby bump is slowly showing too. Technically, this would be the start of my second trimester as discussed by my ob-gyne. The general notion is that first trimester ends on the third month as it is supposed to be the third quarter but the OB said, medically it is after the 14th week. 

At this stage, it is said that the morning sickness, nausea and other discomforts associated with first trimester normally ends for most women and returns on the third trimester. During the second trimester, a little less fatigue and more energy comes back to the pregnant woman. Food cravings also replaces food aversions normally experienced during such period. 

Well for me, my morning sickness a.k.a vomiting almost entirely stopped after my 10th week. I had crazy episodes of vomiting between morning to noon and when I get bloated or gets hungry. Worst, I suffered from acute cystitis on my 9th week. This is a sudden inflammation of the bladder. Most of the time, a bacterial infection causes it. This infection is commonly referred to as a urinary tract infection (UTI). Irritating hygiene products, a complication of certain diseases, or a reaction to certain drugs can be causes of this sickness (https://www.healthline.com/health/cystitis-acute). 

My OB said that pregnant women are susceptible to infections considering that the female organ is near to the anus which is prone to certain bacteria. She also looked at my history of kidney stones which before caused similar symptoms of painful burning-like urination accompanied by blood on my urine. My OB had me underwent kidney ultrasound and a small blur-like thing was found on my left kidney. But she said I needed to undergo further tests which is not advisable in my present condition considering that my baby is still a few weeks old. She said that the kidney issue can be addressed postpartum.

I was admitted for two days at the hospital so they can administer antibiotics thru IV including fluid since I had difficulty consuming the recommended 8 glasses of water a day which may have also contributed to the infection. Afterwards, I was allowed to go home but was required complete bed rest for seven days. 

All throughout this period, my husband tended to me giving me all the TLCs. He also quickly learned how to cook so I can get my much needed sustenance. He was used to his parents and helpers preparing for his meal before we got married. But oh boy, he was forced to domesticate himself since it was only two of us here and I needed all the help I can get. 

This period in my life is a both a learning experience and a real bonding time for my husband and I. We often talk of what the baby may look like, the gender, and which attributes will the baby get from us. We also discussed several names and have shortlisted already depending if our baby’s a girl or a boy. 

At first, my husband did not want to know the baby’s gender right away. He wants to be old school about it and be surprised of the gender once the baby comes out of my womb. Lately though, he changed his mind and decided to know the gender which we will soon find out on our next check up in December. My husband really wants a baby boy and has thought already of so many bonding activities he will have with him like sports, movies, and music. I pray also for a boy so that my husband will be very pleased but ultimately I want God’s will to prevail. Our Father simply knows what baby is best for us.

May this second trimester bring so much joy, good health and blessings to our baby and our little family.

Free Movie Tickets

Being the movie nerd that he is, my husband joined Skycable’s contest in twitter where he got to answer the question of who the newest Flash superhero is. Days before Sky will announce the winner, my husband was already anticipating winning 5 tickets for the advance screening of the new Justice League movie. He analyzed the odds of him winning the contest and the number of people who would have seen the tweet and answered it. Sure enough, he received Sky’s text message informing him that he won the contest last 13 November 2017. That is how positive he is, always looking at the good and bright side of things.

We invited his sister and a friend of mine to the movie. We went early so that we can find good seats but turned out only three rows were reserved to Sky winners. But still, we were able to get good second row seats in the cinema. Before the movie started, Sky had again another set of contests. One of which includes a question and answer portion about the characters in the movie. A lot were able to answer the very easy questions about the real names of the main casts of the movie. But when it came to the question about Jeremy Irons, no one went to the mic to answer so my husband who very well knew all the characters, main or not, was the only one who got the answer right. He went to the front and had his picture taken with the winner’s loot bag. 

Then the movie started. We all focused our attention to the big screen until the very end. The second franchise of the movie was in general a good one. There were many main superheroes but each were given equal roles where their characters were  well-introduced to the audience. The resurrection of Superman was the main highlight for me. He came out strong and confused hurting the other superheroes. But when the love of his life showed up, he was overwhelmed with love and came around in helping the group fight the villain. 

As soon as the movie ended we went home happy to be able to watch the advance screening for free. This was especially so for my big DC fan husband who hates spoilers. Thus, watching it in advance was such a big deal for him. I have never been a fan of comic book heroes. But my husband has been a great deal of an influence to me when it comes to movies. He knows all the history, facts and important details and shares these things to me. I am fascinated of how he is able to obsess on these things and get all nerdy and stuff. But as long as this interest of his is not a vice, I support him all the way.

We Are Pregnant!

I’ve been meaning to blog about this new and exciting event in my life. Since my husband and I got married last December of 2016 we have been trying to conceive. Although a little bit early into the marriage, I admit I was praying hard and expecting to have our first born the soonest possible time. I was very anxious considering that I am already in my early thirties and had some medical issues in the past which I thought would create some infertility issues for me.   

Coupled with the waiting is the pressure from my mother who wanted to have her first ever grandchild. Any grandchild for that matter is a first in both my husband and my side of the family. I also had several friends and former batch mates who kept posting photos of their babies. A lot of celebrities my age which I have been following in social media also have been announcing pregnancy news and updates. So, with all these pregnancy things going around me, I cannot help but want the same for my husband and I. 

More than anything, I have prayed hard and made a covenant to God that when the time comes that He will bless us with our children, I will love, nurture, care, and bring them up as godly children to the best of my ability. 

So when my monthly period comes, I get anxious in waiting for it to end to give way for my fertile period and ovulation day. With the use of phone apps, my husband and I would as much as possible time our conception on these fertile days. Every month thereafter, I would get agitated waiting for any sign that I am finally pregnant. Each month, however, I would well up whenever I see the red blood that is my period. My husband would just hug me and remind me to cheer up since it is still too early and the baby will come around in time. He would remind me of my faith in the Lord and to hold on to that when I feel sad and start to doubt. 

My husband’s words kept me strong. But more importantly, my Lord kept me going. I reminded my self of how God has been faithful in the past when he helped me through one of the most difficult and painful event in my life. He redeemed all that was lost and gave me so much more in return. I held on, hoped and prayed hard.

On 17 August 2017, I received a call from my mother telling me that my grandmother was rushed to the hospital when she saw her lying in bed unconscious. Right then and there, my husband and I decided to go back to our hometown to be by our lola’s side as we were not sure yet if she will be able to survive this time given her history of heart attacks in the past. On that same day, we flew back and stayed for a week. My lola was able to survive but unfortunately this time she suffered a major stroke leaving her in a comatose state. Since we didn’t have somebody to take care of her for the time being especially since my siblings each have their own duties at work, my husband and I took care of her for the rest of our stay.

I guess I was pretty relaxed and rested during those time especially after having said all the things I wanted to say to my lola and even apologized for all my shortcomings despite the fact that she can no longer respond to me. Since those period also fell on my fertile days, my husband and I still tried to conceive. Then I went back to Manila after a week as my husband had to stay to take care of some family concerns.

I went back to work and again waited whether or not I will have my period. As a I was following various phone apps on monthly cycles, I knew I was due to have my period on the third week of September. When I missed the first day I thought it was just normal since the apps are not 100% accurate all the time. But when I missed my second and third days, I was a little bit hopeful but still convinced myself that there maybe just a delay considering the pressures and stress at work. But deep inside though I was really praying and hoping hard that this may mean I was pregnant already. 

However, I was having dysmenorrhea-like symptoms which based on my history always resulted to my monthly cycle. So, I just waited in case my period would soon appear. But when the 5th day passed and there was still no period, I told my husband already. This time he was already back in our condo. He said to just wait a while and relax. But when I made him check the history of my monthly cycles in the phone apps, he said that I am way passed my average cycle of 25 days so it could mean I am pregnant. We still decided though to still wait until the 6th day just to be very sure about it then we will but a pregnancy test to check if I was indeed expecting. 

In the morning of 16 September, I went to the bathroom to take a pee when I noticed a red spot with my urine in the toilet bowl. I went back to bed and told my husband that I think I will be having my period and maybe it was just late this time. However, when I peed again in the afternoon I saw no more blood nor any spotting in my underwear. We looked up about the possibility of spotting as a sign of pregnancy. We came upon several articles saying that this may be a form of implantation bleeding when the sperm fertilized the egg and attaches to the uterus to form a zygote. 

Later that night we bought several pregnancy test kits and when I took one that same night two dark red lines appeared. I was elated and my husband and I held each other tight and prayed to thank God about the positive results. We immediately informed our loved ones and they were equally happy for us. My sister who is a doctor of internal medicine advised her ob-gyn friend about it who computed my gestation at 4 weeks. 

The week after my husband and I went to the ob-gyn for a check up. We were able to see only a a sac as it was too early yet to detect the baby who was now at 5 weeks old. Two weeks after we came back again and had an ultrasound which showed our little bundle of joy slowly forming into shape with a fetal heart beat. It was a pure moment of joy for my husband and I who took a video of the ultrasound which we sent to our family. 

Indeed God is amazing. He never did and will never cease to amaze me in how miraculous and glorious He work out things in my life. Once again, He showed me that He can and He will give me my heart’s desire as long as I put all my faith, hope, and trust in Him. I can say this because when I had the ultrasound results they cannot detect the ovarian cyst, polyp and even endometriosis that I previously had which I thought would hamper any chances for me to conceive. Finally, God is amazing because just a few days prior to my positive results, I just had such beautiful and peaceful devotions with Him. Truly, as it is written in the Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Back to Back Cases

We had this incident in two of the logistics companies of the conglomerate I am working for. Last May of this year their former client, a shipper of fresh salmon from abroad, accused them of charging Value Added Tax for the shipments which turned out to be tax free. So our companies investigated the matter and discovered that their Customs processor along with 14 other people, upon learning from the Bureau of Customs itself that the shipments are non-vatable, conspired to keep this from management and appropriate the VAT payments amongst themselves. This went on for about 2 years and they were able to appropriate about P2,000,000.00. 

We undertook the corresponding administrative investigations and terminated the 15 employees. As expected they filed a labor case against the companies for illegal dismissal which was bold and clearly unfounded considering their evident participation in the theft of the aforesaid VAT payments. The company for its part filed the appropriate criminal cases for qualified theft. 

Let's see how these cases unfold...